Officer Communications & Brand Management
Addressing accountants and other professionals at the 4th PFM Conference, keynote speaker, CPA Godfrey Ssemugooma, the Ag. Accountant General underscored the importance of strengthening Public Finance Management (PFM) systems as a driver for sustainable national development
Ssemugooma noted that robust PFM systems are central to achieving Uganda’s vision of inclusive and sustainable national development.
According to Ssemugooma, sustainable development is about transforming lives and ensuring that progress can be sustained, even in times of uncertainty, pointing out Uganda’s economic resilience during the COVID-19 pandemic, where the economy grew by approximately 3%, alongside its ability to withstand trade shocks, external financing pressures, and geopolitical disruptions, which reflects the strength of its underlying systems.
“Public finance remains a key driver of national development, encompassing the full cycle of budget planning, revenue mobilisation, budget execution, financial reporting, and audit.
However, there are persistent challenges, including the need for more strategic resource allocation, improved execution efficiency, enhanced value for money, and strengthened digital governance,” emphasised Ssemugooma.
Highlighting government interventions, Ssemugooma pointed to the Parish Development Model (PDM) as a transformative initiative.
Over the past four years, over 3.7 trillion shillings has been disbursed, benefiting more than 3.7 million Ugandans. Beyond improving household incomes, the PDM is contributing to expanding the tax base by bringing more citizens into formal economic activity.
He further stressed that achieving sustainable national development requires a comprehensive transformation agenda, one that goes beyond public finance to include a vibrant public sector, strong institutions, and active citizen participation. In this regard, he called for a shift from compliance-driven approaches to more strategic, long-term thinking.
“To drive this transformation, we must adopt key strategic priorities such as strengthening accountability (“clean up”), building capacity (“skill up”), scaling high-impact programmes and digital systems (“scale up”), promoting sustainability (“green up”), and fostering collaboration across institutions (“team up”),” he noted.
Ssemugooma emphasised that strengthening public finance systems is not optional. It is fundamental to Uganda’s development trajectory. As the country continues to pursue inclusive and sustainable growth, the effectiveness of its public finance management systems will remain a decisive factor.
The PFM conference is organised by the Institute of Certified Public Accountants of Uganda (ICPAU) under the theme "Strengthening Public Finance Management for Sustainable National Development", in partnership with Bank of Uganda, NSSF, NIRA, Pearl Bank and Uganda Baati.ThTop of Formeee
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